Test BMW 3 Series 320d xDrive 190 hp

If we have to cite a model to describe BMW's philosophy and style, I think it is clear that we would all say the BMW Serie 3. This model has been the main reference of the Bavarian firm since the 70s, since in the middle of said decade the first generation of this medium saloon arrived on the market, the E21. Then would come the E30, E36, E46, E90 and F30. In these almost 45 years, more than 15 million units have been marketed between its six generations, which is said to be soon.

Today we tried for the first time the new BMW 3 Series G20, the seventh generation of this saloon for the D segment. Will it remain as competitive as ever? Will it maintain all the sportsmanship that generation after generation has been able to transmit? The BMW 3 Series has always been characterized as being a family car but with quite sporty behavior, a fun car to drive, agile and responsive. Is all that maintained in the new model? Join us to discover each of its details and solve all your doubts.

The German brand brought us together with the specialized press in the heart of the Spanish capital to let us know all the details of the new BMW 3 Series, explain its technical part and all the important changes compared to the predecessor model. After the talk, and although without as much time as we would have liked, we got behind the wheel of the BMW 320d xDrive, the version 190 hp diesel, with 8-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive.

Conservative aesthetic, too much?

We start talking about its exterior design. Surely you have already seen a multitude of images in recent months, because the seventh generation It was presented at the beginning of last October, although it has not been until now when it has reached our market. As usual, the aesthetic change is not very large, following the rule of "if something works, don't touch it too much".

At front We see some changes in the shapes of the headlights, which are now LED as standard (optionally they are laser, with greater range and definition). These headlights are in contact with the main grill, the well-known kidneys that have increased their surface but do not look as disproportionate as in the new X5 or 7 Series. Both the kidneys and the lower air-mouth are active., allowing or not the flow of air to the engine compartment depending on the cooling needs in order to improve aerodynamics. The bumper, the hood and the fog lights (also LED) have new forms.

If we look at it from lateral, we find a three-volume body but with a very well integrated trunk lid that follows the line of the rear window. In addition, the boot sill has a dovetail-style shape, which adds quite a bit of dynamism to this look. Meanwhile, the tires range from 16 to 19 inches and, as usual in the German firm, there are many different design styles.

Looking now at the BMW 3 Series from the rear, we cannot say that they have been too complicated when designing it. The lines are very similar to those of the previous models, although it is true that the perception is that it changes more due to the new style taillights, which are LED. They have sought three-dimensionality and integrate a lying "L" shape (it reminds me a bit of Lexus). What I can say that I quite like is the fact that preserve exhaust outlets in a visible place, betting on a double and symmetrical design.

As for the endings, BMW offers in its new 3 Series the finish serial, a finish Sport with a sportier aesthetic, the Luxury, which is committed to a more elegant design, and the M Sport, which greatly increases visual sportiness and also adds some components that improve its dynamics. The BMW M340i xDrive will soon arrive, with a specific set-up and design and which will be the intermediate point between the "normal" range and the expected M3.

A familiar but adapted interior design

Already in the interior, the main design idea is not that it has changed too much, but we do perceive a technological leap and more systems of the so fashionable connectivity. We start, for example, with the new digital instrument cluster which is identical to the one seen on the BMW X5 (test BMW X5 xDrive30d). It doesn't offer as much adjustability and slick looking as the Volkswagen Group frames, but it's not bad. The information looks pretty clear, which is what it's all about.

Otherwise, the dashboard design maintains traditional features in BMW interiors, with a dashboard that enters the passenger compartment quite a bit at mid-height but does not compromise space for driver and passenger. In the middle and central area are the main 12-inch infotainment screen, the climate control controls and, a little lower, the audio equipment. In the lower area there is a compartment to leave the mobile phone, the wallet and the keys with a USB socket and a wireless charging surface.

If we continue looking towards the central console of the car, we have the new gear lever knob of the automatic gearbox (the previous one was prettier to my taste), some controls to manage the driving modes, and other buttons such as activation of the parking sensors. Also note that we have an electric parking brake as standard and, on the other hand, that the engine start button is now here, whereas before it was located on the dashboard and to the right of the steering wheel. Together with them we have iDrive controller for control of the entire infotainment system with touch panel included.

Regarding the materials, the truth is that BMW continues to increase the perceived quality of its interiors with elements that have a good visual appearance and are pleasant to the touch. Of course, as a curiosity, although almost all the materials are padded (there are hardly any rigid plastics), the padding is harder than normal. The adjustments, meanwhile, are very precise. To highlight the upholstery of the pillars and the ceiling, with a very, very pleasant touch.

New technologies

Among the new technologies we can highlight the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant. It is a personal assistant similar to the Mercedes MBUX. It learns from our daily routines, our tastes and preferences thanks to artificial intelligence, and it also understands expressions such as "Hello BMW, I'm cold", and it will raise the temperature of the air conditioner. To give another example of how advanced it is, if we say "Hello BMW, I'm tired", the system will increase the audio volume, reduce the temperature of the cabin and give more intensity to the ambient light to try to increase our attention.

Also the reversing assistant, which we already explained in this video test of the BMW X5, or the Driving Assistant Professional, which is capable of helping the driver to steer the vehicle and maintain a correct safety distance from the vehicle in front, among other functions, such as Cross Traffic Warning.

Although there are more systems, wizards and news, I did not want to overlook the BMW Digital Key. It is a technology that allows you to share the key with whoever you want and from anywhere on the planet with a smartphone. The phone of the person whom we authorize to drive our vehicle must be placed near the driver's door and the car will be unlocked and allowed to be started. Curious to say the least, right?

More roomy in the rear seats

And now it's time to see if the external growth is noticeable in the cabin. To be fair, I have to say that I haven't gotten into a predecessor generation 3 Series sedan for a long time, so I don't have very recent memories about the interior space (to really check it out, the ideal thing is to get out of a car and immediately get in the other). In the front seats There's plenty of room and the seats allow for wide adjustments to accommodate yourself.

Meanwhile, the squares back They present a correct space for knees and head, being in the average of the segment by measurements and, on paper, there is much more space than in the predecessor. With my height (1,76 meters tall) I have several centimeters left to play with my knees and I don't walk just too far with my head from the ceiling. The width is good in the side seats and they hold up relatively well. Due to the shape of the seats and the large transmission tunnel, It is not a car in which you are interested in making a trip with five occupants.

Same boot capacity: 480 liters

The capacity of the trunk does not change with respect to its predecessor, therefore, this BMW 3 Series saloon enjoys 480 liters to april a trunk cover. Inside that it is a car with three volumes and four doors, which we already know are not normally the most comfortable when it comes to loading and unloading and neither are they the ones that make the best use of space, it is really appreciated as a well usable trunk by the inner cubic shapes.

The loading mouth is relatively good and the shapes of it do not bother as much as it did before, since it has been slightly enlarged. The rear seats can be folded down (as standard) in 40:20:40 proportions, although there is still a small step between the floor and the back of the seats when they are folded.

Mechanical range BMW 3 Series G20

The initial mechanical range of the BMW 3 Series G20 consists of Three diesel and two gasoline engines. Later the range will be expanded with the arrival of more engines, being especially important a plug-in hybrid variant under the name BMW 330e with 252 CV and up to 60 km of electric autonomy. Before the arrival of the sportier BMW M3 version, there will also appear a BMW M340i with a sporty touch, specific tuning and 374 CV.

En diesel with four cylinders we have the versions called BMW 318d and 320d, which develop 150 and 190 CV respectively and which, a priori, will take a good part of the sales. diesel 330d It is a 3-liter six-cylinder that delivers 265 CV. Meanwhile, versions of gasoline are the 320i and 330i, which in both cases are supercharged four-cylinder blocks. The 320i gives 184 CV while the 330i version delivers 258 CV. All come with an 8-speed Steptronic automatic transmission, except for the 318d which is manual as standard.

Performance of the BMW 320d xDrive

As I told you at the beginning, we have been able to get behind the wheel of the BMW 320d xDrive. We wanted to try the 320 diesel because it is the best-known version of the latest generations and the one that has sold the most in our country since the E46 generation. Of course, it also had to be the xDrive for the units available at the presentation event. For this generation, it is possible that the 320 hp 184i has much more prominence than ever.

The fact is that, according to the data sheet, the 320d xDrive variant has an approved combined consumption of 4,5 l/100 km, which is very contained. Regarding the performance of the engine, the 190 CV appear at 4.000 turns and the maximum torque is 400 Nm between 1.750 and 2.500 revolutions per minute. With all this, we can reach a top speed of 233 km/h and pass from 0 to 100 km / h in 6,9 seconds.

At the wheel: a less dynamic point, a more comfortable point

Unfortunately for us, we didn't have much time to test the new BMW 3 Series; but in that time we tried to extract the maxims impressions behind the wheel. In any case, we have already contacted BMW to close an assignment for several of a test unit.

Although I could barely drive it around town for just over 10 minutes before hitting the highway, the gearbox It was very soft at all times and easily dispensable at very low speed; And it is that the BMW Steptronic is a real delight in that sense: it is smooth and very adjustable when it has to be, and fast when we practice demanding driving on the road.

Once on highway, the BMW 3 Series stands out for excellent rolling, with a great footprint and a feeling of total control even at very high speed. In addition, the BMW 3 Series G20 conveys a high level of comfort, because the suspension (conventional in the unit tested) absorbs sudden bumps quite well.

It is also appreciable Acoustic inland. The tested car had double glass in the front windows, but the soundproofing was remarkable even at a fairly high speed, especially noting that rolling noise was barely perceptible despite wearing sports tires. Only some aerodynamic noises, which seemed to come from the rear view mirrors, could be noticed by paying attention to it at legal speeds.

Leaving the fast lanes and looking for a Ratoner mountain section, we began to increase the pace and to demand more and more performance from the 2-liter 190 CV engine. The noise of the propeller when we stretch the gears reveals its diesel condition -something that is not perceived at normal rates-, but it compensates because push with energy from just over 1.600 laps. We put the change in sequential mode and, as our car inexplicably does not have paddles, we touch the lever to raise and lower gears, operations that it performs quickly and without jerks.

Thanks to all-wheel drive xDrive, getting out of the curves with the pedal to the full is very easy even if they are very tight. If the system detects that there may be a loss of traction (or that there is), it sends traction to the front axle and it will take a lot of rough work (and when I say a lot, it's a lot) for the car to show a sudden reaction. If we drive fast but without doing the "macarra", the car has some very neutral reactions.

In any case, I don't know if it had any influence (I think it did) that it was an all-wheel drive variant, because I expected a hair more dynamic behavior in curves. It is clear that with the passage of time sportsmanship has been lost a bit of those E36 and E46 models, and I am not saying that the current one does not have a certain sporty touch, but I think that now it is a bit below the Alfa Romeo Giulia, which for me is the benchmark when it comes to sportiness in a saloon.

La address, although with a good weight, it is not as direct as I would have liked and, to a certain extent, this may have been one of the reasons why I have not felt as agile as I would have liked. We have no complaint about suspension, which contained inertia well and showed good absorption when we found a bump in the middle of the curve. And is that the chassis has also increased its rigidity.

Anyway, as I told you before, the test has been quite short and I would like it to be taken into account, since in a few kilometers there is not time to take all the gut feeling. vehicle. Nor is it fair to talk about consumption in a touchdown of so few kilometers.

Conclusions

The BMW 3 Series is renewed with this jump to its seventh generation. He has not wanted to significantly modify its design, since it is more than proven that on an aesthetic level his predecessor was very liked by the public, so it has its logic. Where there has been a big change is at the technological level, updating itself in terms of connectivity and entertainment, as well as in the sense of showing greater technology to the sense of sight through the new digital box.

Thank you to your larger dimensions, now enjoys a little more space for the occupants, especially in the second row of seats that is somewhat more usable. The trunk, for its part, maintains the 480 liters but, yes, its shapes are somewhat more regular to facilitate comfort and the loading of large objects.

At the level of comportamiento, the new BMW 3 Series has made it clear to us that it is a good vehicle to devour kilometers on the highway and that it is perfectly prepared for it; although it seems that it has lost a bit of sportsmanship in the most tacked areas. In any case, we need to test it further.

BMW 3 Series standard equipment

• 8-speed Steptronic gearbox (except 318d)
• 16-inch alloy wheels
• LED headlights
• Leather multifunctional sports steering wheel
• Tri-zone climate control
• Electrochromic interior mirror
• Compartment package
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Rain Sensor
• Cruise control
• Lighting package
• Active Guard Plus
• Smart emergency call
• Connected Package
• Repair guarantee for 3 years or 200.000 km

BMW 3 Series Sedan prices

Gallery BMW 3 Series Sedan

More information about this model

BMW Serie 3

• Plazas 5
• Power 150 - 374 hp
• Consumer goods 1,3 - 7,8l/100km
• Assessment 4,7